The Cult's debut studio album Dreamtime was released in 1984 to moderate success, with its lead single "Spiritwalker" reaching No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart. Their second studio album, Love (1985), was also successful, charting at No. 4 in the UK and including singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain". The band's third album, Electric (1987), launched them new heights of success, also peaking at No. 4 in the UK and charting highly in other territories, and spawned the hit singles "Love Removal Machine", "Lil' Devil" and "Wild Flower". On that album, The Cult supplemented their post-punk sound with hard rock; the polish on this new sound was facilitated by producer Rick Rubin. After moving to Los Angeles, California, where the band has been based for the remainder of their career, The Cult continued the musical experimentation of Electric with its follow-up album Sonic Temple (1989), which marked their first collaboration with Bob Rock, who would produce several of the band's subsequent albums. Sonic Temple was their most successful album to that point, entering the Top 10 on the UK and US charts, and included one of the band's most popular songs "Fire Woman".
By the time of their fifth album Ceremony (1991), tensions and creative differences began to surface among the band members. This resulted in the recording sessions for Ceremony being held without a stable lineup, leaving Astbury and Duffy as the only two official members left, and featuring support from session musicians on bass and drums. The ongoing tension had carried over within the next four years, during which they released one more studio album, The Cult (1994), and called it quits in 1995. The Cult reformed in 1999 and released their seventh album Beyond Good and Evil two years later. The commercial failure of the album and resurfaced tensions led to the band going back on hiatus in 2002. They resumed activity in 2006, and have since released three more studio albums: Born into This (2007), Choice of Weapon (2012), and Hidden City (2016).
According to music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the band fuse a "hardcore punk revivalist" sound with the "pseudo-mysticism ... of the Doors and Uriah Heep and the guitar-orchestrations of Led Zeppelin and The Cure ... while adding touches of post-punk goth rock". In 1985 Astbury said, "Our music is just melodies and guitars. We're like Big Country and U2, only better!".
On August 15, 2020, Duffy announced on his Twitter that the band were recording a new album with producer Tom Dalgety at Rockfield Studios, where The Cult had recorded their debut album Dreamtime 36 years earlier.
The Cult is also the name of a Las Vegas funk group that recorded one album in 1976, an Australian psych rock band that released one single in 1965, a UK punk band that released one 7" in 1980 and a garage rock band (featuring Allan Springfield of Chelsea Beige) that released two singles in 1965 and 1966.
Wild Flower
The Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm out of control
Every time you are near me
I'm a wolf child, baby
And I'm howlin' for you
My heart beats faster
Hey, hey, and it's overpowered, wow
Howlin' for you
Wild flower
Star of my dreams
The most beautiful thing, yeah
Yeah you
Sweet sensation of a nation
Oh, my soul
You're a perfect creation
You're an angel, baby
And I'm cryin' for you
My heart beats faster
Yeah hey, and I'm overpowered
I'm a wolf child, girl
Howlin' for you
Wild flower
Star of my dreams
The most beautiful thing
Wild flower
I love you every hour
Wild flower
Burning down the night
Set the world alight, yeah
Wild flower
I'm a wolf child, girl
Howlin' for you
Wild flower
You're the star of my dreams
Most beautiful thing
Wild flower
I love you every hour
Wild flower
I love you every hour
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
Crazy 'bout you, girl
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
Crazy 'bout
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
The Cult's "Wild Flower" is an ode to the power of love and the uncontrollable urges that come with it. The lyrics speak to the intense emotion that love can bring about, likening the singer to a "wolf child" and "howlin' for you." The object of his affection is a "wild honey child" who he can't resist, and who he sees as the star of his dreams and the most beautiful thing in the world.
The use of animal imagery in the lyrics underscores the primal nature of love and attraction. The singer can't help but be drawn to this woman, feeling as if he is "out of control" and can't contain his feelings. The repetition of "my heart beats faster" serves to emphasize the physical sensations that come with love and desire. The singer is overwhelmed by his emotions, crying and feeling overpowered in her presence.
Overall, the song paints a picture of the raw power of love, shown through its animalistic qualities and the way it can take over a person's life. At its core, "Wild Flower" is a celebration of the intensity of love and the way it can incite passion and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you, you're a wild honey child
You are a free-spirited and enchanting person
I'm out of control
Being around you makes me lose my senses
Every time you are near me
Your presence affects me deeply
I'm a wolf child, baby
I am wild and uninhibited like a wolf
And I'm howlin' for you
I am deeply yearning and calling out for you
My heart beats faster
You make my heart race with excitement
Hey, hey, and it's overpowered, wow
Your influence overwhelms me with ecstasy
I'm a wolf child, girl
I am untamed and passionate like a wolf
Howlin' for you
I am deeply longing and calling out for you
Wild flower
You are a beautiful and unique individual
Star of my dreams
You are the central focus of my deepest aspirations
The most beautiful thing, yeah
You are the epitome of beauty to me
Yeah you
You are the one I am addressing
Sweet sensation of a nation
You are a captivating and alluring person for everyone
Oh, my soul
I am expressing deep emotion towards you
You're a perfect creation
You are a flawless embodiment of beauty and grace
You're an angel, baby
You are a divine and benevolent being
And I'm cryin' for you
I am shedding tears out of longing and love for you
Wild flower
You are a unique and rare beauty
Star of my dreams
You are the center of my deepest desires
Most beautiful thing
You are the most exquisite and enchanting person
I love you every hour
I am always deeply in love with you
Burning down the night
Our love is so intense, it lights up the darkness
Set the world alight, yeah
Our love is so powerful, it has the potential to change the world
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
I am completely and uncontrollably in love with you
Crazy 'bout you, girl
I am madly in love with you, my sweet girl
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
I am overwhelmingly and unconditionally in love with you
Crazy 'bout
I am completely consumed by my love for you
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
I am truly and madly in love with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN ROBERT ASTBURY, WILLIAM DUFFY, WILLIAM HENRY DUFFY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnny5isalive2020
Hey you
You're a wild honey child
I'm out of control
Every time you are near me
I'm a wolf child, baby
And I'm howlin' for you
My heart beats faster, hrrrr
Hey hey, and it's overpowered, wow
I'm a wolf child, girl
Howlin' for you
Wild flower
Star of my dreams
The most beautiful thing, yeah
Yeah you
Sweet sensation of a nation
Oh, my soul
You're a perfect creation
You're an angel, baby
And I'm cryin' for you
My heart beats faster, hrrrr
Yea hey, and I'm overpowered
I'm a wolf child, girl
Howlin' for you
Wild flower
Star of my dreams
The most beautiful thing
Wild flower
I love you every hour
Wild flower
Burning down the night
Set the world alight, yeah
Wild flower
I'm a wolf child, girl
Howlin' for you
Wild flower
You're the star of my dreams
Most beautiful thing
Wild flower
I love you every hour
Wild flower
I love you every hour
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
Crazy 'bout you, girl
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
Crazy 'bout
Crazy 'bout you, yeah
Thanks to Ian Astbury for making the 80's rock! 🎸🎶📻
@deborahmolbert3068
It's 2023 and I'm still listening to The Cult! They still rock
@SuzeSzymanski-nx3bp
Ive been into them since I was 13 back in 1985 ( and The Damned). Still am🎸 ( oh.. and a band called The Bolshoi 😁)
@chicksrockmedia8037
As we do too - they keep rocking across time
@sorearm
never grow old
@kelbell9312
YYYEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!
@kelbell9312
👏👏👏🌹💫
@kelbyg5175
I was in high school when this came out. Everyone liked it, the punks, goths, rockers, stoners. That is the appeal of good music.
@jimmyjames950
Shot
@brentramsey
Totally
@70gabino
Yeah, The Cult were one of those bands that didn't really fit into any one category.